Curating the Milena principle
Brasilia Brazil - The National Library of Brasilia. 6-27 October 2011.
'The writer in the public space' an artistic event about European cultural cooperation in Brasilia. the Milena principle, as an European organization for interdisciplinary cooperation, is curating a series of events, about and as a dialogue between visual arts, literature, augmented reality and the body, reflecting as well about the library and the public space as places of imagination, in the National Library of Brasilia, as well a major center of digital arts. Geert Vermeire talks via video conference with Belgian, Greek and Spanish artists and curates two exhibitions of contemporary art. 'Don´t touch me', an European imaginary museum of art and literature, with works of the Greek artist Yiannis Melanitis and texts, referring to the European heritage on a playful and poetic way, and 'An ear on the grass' with video poems, videos of urban performances of the Belgian artistic duo Stefaan van Biesen and Geert Vermeire in various European cities, and a video about their cooperation with the Spanish artist Enrique Tomás and with the Spanish collective escoitar.org.
All events are linked with ´the Dürer connection´, a guideline within the projects of the Milena principle, referring to the nomadic aspect of renaissance artists, travelling with their work through Europe and making connections with the places they visited and with the people they met. Renaissance artists, scientists and philosophers exchanged ideas on a border crossing way and in an atmosphere of friendship, during mutual visits on their continuous journeys, creating a network of solidarity and affinity. Our art projects connect explicitly with this European, utopian and human dimension. The series of activities are inaugurated with a lecture of Simona Vermeire (art and literature specialist, University of Minho, CEHUM, Portugal), linking the themes of the events in The patented body in the work of José Saramago on October 6th at 7 pm. The events receive support of the Embassies of Belgium and Greece, UnB-University of Brasilia, the National Museum of Brasilia, EUNIC Brasilia and the Instituto Cervantes Brasilia. Exhibitions and activities in the National Library of Brasilia, Biblioteca Nacional de Brasília, Setor Cultural Sul, lote 2, edifício da BNB , 70070-150 - Brasília – DF, opening hours: working days from 9 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 6 pm.
'the Go-between' Stefaan van Biesen [the Milena principle 2011]
Braga, Portugal July 8 - September 10, 2011.
An exhibition project by Stefaan van Biesen in the Museums of Biscainhos and Nogueira da Silva in Braga during the Summer of 2011. The exhibition departs from a perfomance realized at and for the Museum Nogueira da Silva in July 2010. This performance wa...s called 'the Go between', several works of art were created in an artistic laboratory following on this event. Drawings, attributes video and two installations with dresses, one in the garden of the Museum Biscainhos, 'the Space between', and one within the Museum Nogueira da Silva, 'the Promise', 'Birthmarks (I). The exhibition reflects on a poetic way about the equilibrium between female and male in society. The exhibition wants to give a female touch to the Nogueira da Silva Museum, a symbol of male presence in society. At the Museum of Biscainhos the liveliness of a family home and the family atmosphere is restored, through a colorful and tender intervention in the garden.
How long is now? [Stefaan van Biesen]
Museo Nogueira da Silva & Biscainhos Braga Portugal 2010
BAW Art festival: digital art, Tirgu Mures Romania 2010.
The Milena principle participated and advised at BAW in Tirgu Mures, a Festival that dedicates itself to the relation between science/technology and art, inspired by father and son Bolyai, both reknown early 19th century mathematicians, the latter one of the pioneers of non euclidean mathematics. At BAW Geert Vermeire worked together with Escoitar, our partner from Vigo/Santiago de Compostela, on several sound projects, exploring the city through sound, creating a sonoscope and experimenting together with Portuguese contemporary musicians/composers with the noTours technology of Escoitar. Simona Vermeire collaborated to a workshop for children and Geert and Simona Vermeire gave lectures about interdisciplinary approaches towards science and technology. We had as well the chance to meet Augustin Ioan, to discuss our mutual projects for Guimaraes 2012. The Festival has an academical/reflective part with conferences of artists and scientists, next to an experimental part, a "laboratory" where artists and scientists work together in small projects or workshops. It was organized by the Hungarian Academy for Science in Transylvania, connected with the Tirgu Mures University and by the City of Tirgu Mures in the renaissance Citadel of the city. The organisers were very enthusiast about our contribution and they want to engage themselves further in our activities. The president of the Hungarian Academy for Science in Transylvania, as well vice mayor of the city and a doctor in nuclear physics wants to elaborate the festival on an European scale, keeping the format as an academical/reflective part about 'science/technology and art' (in collaboration with international and local universities) and a more experimental part with a laboratory for art and technology/science workshops. Kamilla Csegzi is an architect and has the artistic direction. She's interested in integrating interactions in the urban space of the city with a social artistic and community directed approach. Their ambition is to organize events (with as well the intent to promote the heritage of the two Bolyais) in different countries in Europe. This intention fits perfectly into the approach of the Milena principle, connecting science with art, travelling events, a nomadic university with workshops in several countries. The connection technology and art is one of the specialities of Escoitar. To connect art and sound/technology in public space is as another important aspect of Escoitar and of our partner Spacepilots from London.